Archive for December 1st, 2011

Trial opens on club killing

Trial opens on club killing

| 01/12/2011 | 0 Comments

next level_0.jpg(CNS): Devon Anglin appeared before the chief justice Thursday on trial for the murder of Carlos Webster and the attempted murder of Christopher Solomon in a Grand Cayman nightclub over two years ago. The court heard that for the first time in Cayman, as a result of changes to the criminal procedure code, the crown’s key witness would remain anonymous and give evidence through a voice altered audio link that only the judge could hear undistorted. The unnamed person told the court they had witnessed Anglin shoot Webster in the Next Level nightclub following a fight by the bar. The witness said they had known Anglin for more than ten years and “could not mistake him for anyone else.”

Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Richards, QC, who is prosecuting the case for the crown, told the court that Christopher Solomon, who was standing beside Webster at the time of the shooting was hit in the stomach by one of the three bullets fired by Anglin that passed through Webster’s forearm. Solomon told police that he went outside after the shooting and only then realised he had been hit.

During her opening statement Richards said the shooting came in the wake of an altercation between Chadwick Bodden, Webster and the defendant over something Bodden had said about Anglin’s girlfriend.

She revealed that in presenting the case the crown intended to rely on the evidence of the anonymous key witness who saw the shooting, a second anonymous witness who saw the altercation, the security staff and CCTV footage that showed Anglin at the club that night and leaving seconds after the shooting occurred. Despite their being some eleven cameras in the club, none of them caught the shooting on tape.

The unnamed key witness told the court that sometime after 1:00am on 10 September 2009 he saw Anglin, Webster and a man he knew from West Bay to be Chadwick Bodden fighting in the club.

Anglin punched and kicked Bodden but the fight was broken up by security guards. As the club staff removed Bodden outside Webster struck Anglin in the face. The witness said that after being punched by Webster, Anglin headed to the men’s restroom. A few minutes later Anglin emerged from the washrooms and the witness said he watched as Anglin pulled out a gun from his waistband and fired at Webster twice. He told the court via the audio link that as the victim fell to the floor clutching his side, Anglin walked over to him and fired one more time before he headed for the exit and left the club.

The witness said that Anglin used a small black gun that sounded like a .9 or .22 automatic handgun. Asked how he knew, the witness said he was familiar with gunshot sounds.

The crown’s case is based almost entirely on the key anonymous witness’s account along with evidence from security staff, CCTV footage that shows Anglin at the club that night and a second anonymous witness who also saw the altercation between the three men before the shooting.

The case is being tried by judge alone with Chief Justice Anthony Smellie, who, along with the court staff and legal teams, visited the location of the fatal shooting on Thursday afternoon. Although the club has since change hands and been renamed Jet, the general layout is similar and the defence team asked if the court would take the visit before they began their cross examination of the crown’s main unnamed witness.

The trial is set down for three weeks and resumes in court two at 10am Friday morning.

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Michael Misick’s brother charged in Turks & Caicos

Michael Misick’s brother charged in Turks & Caicos

| 01/12/2011 | 18 Comments

Chal Misick.JPG(fptci): Former Premier Michael Misick’s brother, Chal Misick, is among at least a dozen people charged so far with various offenses including bribery, money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the Turks and Caicos Islands government, according to the Special Investigation Prosecution Team. A number of those charged are expected to appear in court Dec. 6 when their names and charges will be revealed. The prosecution team has said it will not identify people charged until their first appearance in court. Chal Misick, a lawyer who handled a number of various transactions for his brother, was charged Nov. 29 with money laundering and appeared Nov. 30 in magistrate’s court on Providenciales. 

His bail had not been determined at press time.

Former government Minister Lillian Boyce has confirmed that she has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the government in a land deal on North West Point. And the SIPT has confirmed that Seven Stars developer Jak Civre has been charged with bribery and granted amultimillion dollar bail in court.

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Dr Frank McField shot

Dr Frank McField shot

| 01/12/2011 | 85 Comments

Frank mcfield.jpg(CNS): Update Thursday 2:50pm — The former UDP minister and George Town MLA, Dr Frank McField, who was shot in the leg this morning, has not yet revealed how he sustained his injuries to investigating officers. An RCIPS spokesperson stated that the circumstances surrounding the incident are still unclear. Police are, however, looking for the person driving a black car that dropped McField at the hospital at around 6am on Thursday, 1 December. Police believe that the car may have been a Toyota Supra and are appealing for the driver or anyone who saw that car in the area to come forward. It is still not known where the shooting occurred but sources tell CNS that McField's car was found in the Scranton area of George Town.

Detectives have confirmed that they have been interviewing the victim since his admission to hospital but “at this stage the circumstances around what happened, and where, are not clear,” the spokesperson added.

Officers are appealing for anyone who has information which could assist them in establishing what took place to contact them. They are asking anyone who may have heard a gun being discharged or who may have seen any suspicious activity to contact George Town police station on 949-4222, the RCIPS tip-line on 949-7777 or Crime Stoppers 800-8477 (TIPS).

McField was the former Cabinet minister for Community Development, Youth, Sports and Gender Affairs in the UDP administration from the 2001 coup until the election in 2005. He lost his George town seat in that election, and efforts to regain the seat in 2009 were unsuccessful.

McField remains an outspoken advocate for the socially excluded and was until just a few weeks ago presenting a UDP-backed radio talk show about community issues. The show, which was aired on Radio Cayman but paid for by the premier, was abruptly taken off air recently without explanation.

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Police on hunt for GT robbers

Police on hunt for GT robbers

| 01/12/2011 | 6 Comments

police jackets_2.jpg(CNS): Detectives from George Town police station are on the hunt for two men and a woman who they say committed an armed robbery on Wednesday night. At about 8pm the victim reported to 911 that he had just been robbed at his home on Eastern Avenue in the vicinity of Payless Autos and the suspects had left on foot. The two men involved were said to be brandishing what appeared to be handguns as the three armed robbers approached the victim outside his home address. The suspects then forced the man back into his residence and demanded he hand over any cash. An undisclosed sum of money was handed over before the robbers locked the victim and his family in a room and the suspects ran from the scene.

No shots were fired and no one received any injuries. The first suspect was described as a dark skinned male, medium build, 6'4" in height, wearing a long sleeved green/brown military style jacket, dark coloured scarf over face, dark coloured material covering head who spoke with a Jamaican accent. The second was also said to be around 6' 4" wearing a purple jacket with dark coloured material over face and head. The woman was said to be of a stocky build wearing a white short sleeved blazer.

When police arrived at the scene they said road blocks had been set up and search of the area was immediately undertaken but no arrestshave been made at this time.
The robber comes after a short lull in armed heists

Anyone who was in the area at the relevant time and has information which could assist the police is asked to contact Detective Constable Bowen on 516 8490 or George Town Police Station on 949-4222, the RCIPS Tip-Line 949-7777 or the Confidential Crime Stoppers Number 800-8477 (TIPS).
 

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Cayman plans to woo reinsurance sector

Cayman plans to woo reinsurance sector

| 01/12/2011 | 0 Comments

mac new_4.jpg(CNS Business): Regulations being finalised for the Insurance Law will include a package of immigration incentives for the reinsurance industry that the premier hopes will attract new business to Cayman. The industry will be one where the promised ten year permits will be rolled out as well as a streamlined application process and, the premier has said, a reduction in work permit fees. Although he has offered similar incentives to new sectors, such as the special economic zone, it is the first time a package has been created for an existing sector. Despite what he described as a “ticklish issue” because of the election campaigning that he said had started, speaking at the opening of this year’s Cayman Captive Forum, Bush said Cayman needed to change its immigration regime and enact legislation toallow business to flourish. Read more on CNS Business

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